on Helping Writers become Authors:
Understanding how story works means stripping it down to the basic mechanics that undergird storyform itself.
At its simplest, story is protagonist versus antagonist.
However, it’s important to understand the definitions.
Although we most commonly (and usefully) think of protagonist and antagonist as vibrant, three-dimensional personalities, the functional reality is a bit simpler.
Protagonist is the part of the story that drives the plot via a forward-moving goal.
Antagonist is the corresponding part of the story that creates conflict by obstructing that forward momentum.
So what are antagonistic proxies, and how do they fit into this mix?
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog 